Memories Like Snowflakes
by Jess and Lin
Summary: After more than three hundred years, you'd think it would be easier to cope and move on. Character death
1. Chapter 1

Dedicated to my friend who passed away last month.

~RotG~

After more than three hundred years, you'd think it would be easier to cope with losing someone and to move on after they were...gone...but it never was. It always hurt, and it always took time to heal.

Jack Frost had always cared about the kids he had often played with, and he had watched them all grow up throughout the centuries. But finding out when one of them died - he could never get used to that. Especially if they were still so young.

Jack found out quickly that most people weren't like him. Like the girl and her cousins that used to live near his lake the first few years after he had drown. They had all grown older and eventually passed away, but he didn't and never would.

He knew now that the older woman who had died had been his sister, and somehow it hurt more knowing that. He had been to her funeral, but he hadn't known how special she had been. He only knew that she had been a sweet girl who had lost someone close to her when she was younger.

Jack had decided to make as many people as he could happy while they still alive. He made it snow, and they loved it. He started snowball fights, and everyone went home with smiles on their faces. Jack didn't know who he was, but he _had_ known that he enjoyed making people smile...even if they couldn't see him.

That bothered him. He didn't understand why no one saw him, and he never got an answer when he asked the moon.

After he was chosen to be a Guardian, someone finally saw him. Someone finally _believed _in him.

The winter spirit walked around the lake, kicking the snow. It had only been a few days since Jamie had died, and Jack still couldn't believe it. When Sophie had told him, Jack had stayed with her at the house while their mom had started getting ready for a funeral. Sophie had cried, and Jack had tried not to while he stayed with her. Taking care of Sophie distracted him for a while, but once she fell asleep, he had to deal with his own confusion.

Looking at the lake, he wondered if this was how his sister had felt when he had died.

"It must suck, not being able to swim," Jamie had once told him, wincing sympathetically. The boy had turned thirteen a few days before then and couldn't wait for school to be over for winter break.

Thinking about how he had died, Jack thought, _No, I think it's okay. _"It looks fun," Jack admitted, "but I don't know how to swim anyway."

"Is there any way you can make the lake not freeze?" Jamie suggested. "Then maybe I could teach you."

Jack had spent his whole life making sure the ice was always thick. It would take some effort to do what Jamie was saying. "No, it's fine. Besides, you'd get sick swimming in icy water." Jack had grinned and ruffled the younger teen's hair affectionately.

"No, I wouldn't!" But Jamie had dropped the subject when he noticed Jack glancing nervously at the lake.

That had been years ago, but Jack hadn't forgotten it. Sometimes, he wondered if he should have asked Jamie to teach him anyway.

Everyone called it a car accident, and even though accidents happened all the time, Jack kept thinking it was his fault somehow. _I should've kept the ice off the road, I should've known something like this could happen, I should've been more careful._

And that last thought brought back another memory.

Jack had been sitting in a tree near the lake when a sixteen year old Jamie found him. "What do you look so sad for?" Jamie asked him curiously once the older teen had jumped out of the tree.

"I was just thinking," Jack said simply. He had been wondering what he would do when Jamie died. It was a scary thought, and one Jack tried to avoid. But he knew his friend would die someday, and that fact bothered him when the younger teen wasn't around.

"About what?" Jamie sat down in the snow, shivering.

After a moment, Jack joined him. "I was just wondering..." Jack hesitated. "Why do people die?"

Jamie had frowned and looked at Jack. "I don't know. We just do." He paused, then added, "Mom always says there's a reason for everything, and that includes dying. Maybe it teaches a lesson to other people?" He shrugged. "I don't know."

Jack was quiet for a while.

Jamie noticed and added lightly, "But if people are really careful, they can put it off for a long time."

Jack wrinkled his nose at the thought. "Being careful isn't all that fun," he commented, and Jamie laughed.

"There are ways to be careful and have fun at the same time," Jamie replied, tossing a handful of snow at Jack. Jack grinned and soon they had started a snowball fight.

After Jamie had stopped to rest, Jack had poked him with the end of his staff. Jamie had chuckled and pushed the stick away. Jack still looked like something was bothering him, so Jamie told him with a sigh, "We're not like you and North. We don't have magic to keep us immortal."

"Fine." Jack frowned, then asked his friend hesitantly, "Can you promise me something?"

"Sure," Jamie replied instantly, "anything."

"Can you be really careful?" There was a smirk, but Jamie knew it was forced.

He nodded and smiled. "Sure. I promise."

But while someone could make a promise to be careful, it didn't mean the rest of the world would be too.

Jack was starting to really hate the lake and left to visit the Guardians. He found them at the North Pole. Tooth was staring sadly at the spot where Jamie's home was, where a light had vanished. There was always lights disappearing, but this was different somehow.

It took Jack a while to realize why. North had told him that they didn't have time for children, but now Jack was wondering if it was because they would get attached to the kids. That would explain why Tooth had stopped collecting the teeth, even if she had started again.

Jack looked at Sandy, who was creating dreams of a boy who laughed as much as he breathe and lived like there was no tomorrow.

"How are you feeling, Jack?" North asked the teen kindly.

"I'm... I'm okay," Jack lied, smiling sadly with a shrug. To take the attention off of himself, he added with a wince, "Sophie's got it worse."

"I'll have to go visit her," Bunny said, looking up.

"She's sleeping right now," Jack pointed out, and Bunny started to relax slightly.

"She's a strong girl," Tooth murmured, and everyone agreed.

Bunny tossed Jack a piece of chocolate, who took it with a confused look. "It helps," Bunny told him simply.

Jack glanced at Tooth, who nodded. "Just this once," she said, but the stern tone was missing. Usually she disapproved of the other Guardians eating sweets, but this time was an exception. Jack ate the chocolate slowly, thinking.

"Was there anything we could've done?" Jack asked the Guardians tentatively. He remembered Jamie's promise and could already guess the answer.

"You made 'im happy," Bunny said, shrugging helplessly. "That's all any of us can do."

Jack nodded, understanding.

"He was a good boy," North said finally, looking tired, "and he will be missed." Jack felt tears in his eyes and closed them.

Sandy noticed Jack falling asleep for the first time in a long time, and he gave the teen dreams of a boy who had cared about him and a girl who's older brother had died for her. Sometimes, Sandy wondered if Jack knew that the Bennets' were related to him, but he never asked and Jack never mentioned it to him.

When Jack woke up a few hours later, Bunny and Sandy were gone. Tooth was about to leave, and she hugged Jack. "It'll be okay," she whispered. Jack almost believed her as she let him go. "And if you ever wanna talk, we're all here for you."

Jack forced a smile and thanked her. They left the North Pole and went their separate ways.

Sophie told Jack the date of the viewing and told him it was fine if he didn't want to go. She knew Pippa wasn't going, and if the winter spirit couldn't handle it, Sophie would understand. She wasn't ready to face the truth either. She wanted to stay home and pretend her brother was still alive and okay.

"It's fine," Jack told her, shrugging and propping his staff against his shoulder. "I'll be there." Something about the dream Sandy had given him told him he had to be there.

The night before the viewing, Sophie left her window unlocked. Jack flew in an hour later, and the two talked quietly about their friends and how Sophie's family was doing since the accident.

Jack didn't know all the details - only that there had been an accident and his buddy had died instantly - but he didn't want to ask Sophie. She might not know much about it herself, and Jack didn't want to make things worse for her.

Instead, the two were helping each other to stay strong. They had been hanging out with their friends more often and kept pushing each other to hold on.

Tooth helped the two by giving them their best memories of Jamie, reminding them that he had lived a great life. It helped them to grieve and eventually move on. But it still took time for their hearts to heal.

At the viewing, Jack stayed out of everyone's way to avoid being walked through, and he stood near Sophie, who was trying not to cry. There was some music playing before a stranger made a speech for Jamie. Mrs. Bennet also made a tearful speech for her son, and then it was Sophie's turn. Sophie broke down crying, but she finished her speech and more music was played.

Then the viewing was over, and the funeral would start early the next morning.

Cupcake offered to take Sophie to Pippa's house, where the girls were going to have a sleepover. Sophie looked at Jack, who nodded and smiled. She smiled back ruefully and left. Monty told Jack that him and the twins were going to play video games, but Jack decided he needed to be alone for a while and left after saying his goodbyes - but not before giving each of them their own snowflakes. He even stopped by Pippa's to give her one.

After all, Jamie wouldn't want his friends to cry over him too much.

Jack wasn't sure why he wanted to be alone now; after three hundred years, he was sick of being alone. But he knew he had some things to think about. A song got stuck in his head, and he hummed it softly under his breath as he walked on the power lines with his hood pulled up.

The song he was humming was one that had been played at the funeral, and Jack knew he would never forget it now. The song soothed Jack, and he wondered if there really was a better place where Jamie was watching over them from. If there was, he wondered if his sister was there with him.

_They would get along_, Jack thought with a genuine smile. _They would get into so much trouble without even trying._ He chuckled and decided there had to be a better place for those two.

_"You made 'im happy. That's all any of us can do."_

And it still hurt to think about his friend, but it felt like things would be okay now._ Life goes on_, Jack thought with a heavy sigh. _It isn't really fair, but it still keeps going._

"So you make all these snowflakes on your own?" An eighteen year old Jamie had asked, unconvinced.

The snow was falling softly as they walked around Jack's lake.

"Yeah," Jack had said proudly. Jamie snorted, and Jack looked offended. "Hey! It's not that hard to believe. Bunny paints all those Easter eggs."

"Liar, I've been to Bunny's Warren." Jamie grinned. "The eggs paint themselves!"

Jack crossed his arms and huffed. "Not all of them." Jamie gave Jack a look. The winter spirit deflated a little. "Fine, you win."

Jamie laughed. "Don't be a sore loser, Jack," the teen had told him teasingly.

"I'm not. We weren't even playing a game!" Jack rolled his eyes as Jamie laughed again and walked ahead of the Guardian of Fun.

Jack grinned and picked up a handful of snow to create a snowball. He aimed carefully before throwing it. Jamie nearly fell over, but he spun around to see Jack whistling innocently and walking the opposite direction. Jamie called after him, "That's real mature, Jack!"

Jack looked back at Jamie and replied, "Thanks!" Jamie had thrown a snowball at him, which Jack had dodged with a laugh.

Thinking back on those memories, Jack could almost believe his friend was still alive and waiting for him to visit. Jack didn't want to ruin that dream yet, so he put off returning to Jamie's for a little while longer.

Jack almost didn't notice the full moon as it shined down dimly, as if it were mourning too.

"You miss him?" Jack asked, not expecting an answer and not getting one. He sighed and shrugged. "I guess we all do, huh?" The moon didn't answer, and Jack shrugged again and kept walking.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack didn't need to sleep, so he never did. But after Jamie was...gone, Jack had fallen asleep once and dreamed of his little sister and his best friend. He loved his dream, but waking up from it was painful.

In his dream, Jack was at the lake with his little sister Mary and Jamie. Both of them were still alive and begging him to play with them. It wasn't the thirty year old woman or twenty one year old man in his dreams, but instead it was the eight year old girl Jack had saved and the ten year old boy who was the first child to believe in him.

The two were tugging on Jack's sleeves and smiling up at him. "I haven't seen you in years!" Mary said, causing Jack to wince slightly. "Let's play a game!"

"C'mon, Jack!" Jamie pulled on the teen's arm. "What're you waiting for?"

Jack knew it was a dream, but it was still hard to forget that two kids in front of him were...dead. He wanted to believe they were still alive, but he didn't want to wake up later and find out that they weren't.

Both of the kids were still observant even in a dream and noticed Jack's hesitance. Unlike his usual playful nature, he was being careful and almost seemed nervous.

Mary knew Jack wouldn't want to talk about it, but it had been a long time since she'd last seen him. She wondered if he had changed. Judging by his white hair and blue eyes, she guessed that maybe he had.

"What's wrong?" Jamie finally asked him.

Jack smiled at them and shook his head. "Nothing."

"Liar," Jamie said, then looked at Mary.

She shrugged and gave it a shot. "You can tell us," she told him softly, and Jack felt his heart breaking when he looked at their young, concerned faces.

"You - you're not..." Jack struggled to get the words out, and the two waited patiently. He finally blurted out, "This is a dream, right? So you're not real. You both - you two _died_." Jack took a step back and glanced at Mary. "You had gotten sick - " Jack looked at Jamie, who frowned slightly. The winter spirit added with a hint of sadness in his tone, "You died a few days ago...in a car accident." _And it's all my fault._

But Jamie said firmly, "That doesn't matter."

Jack stared at the younger boy, confused. "What do you mean?"

"If this is just a dream," Mary said quietly, "then you should enjoy it. We can just spend another day together. It doesn't matter if we're not alive. I'm here, and Jamie is too. What matters is what we choose to do right now."

The teenager shook his head. "It isn't that simple." But he wondered if that was true.

"You told me that you would always be here." Jamie reminded him, smiling sadly at the memory. "And now the same goes for us. We're always here."

"Even if you can't see us," Mary agreed with a nod. "And even if this is just a dream, that doesn't mean you can't believe it's real. It'll just be for a little while."

Jack looked at both of them, then smiled and nodded. "Okay. So how about we have a little fun?"

The two kids grinned. "Okay!"

Jamie spicked up a handful of snow and tossed it at Jack, who finally let himself relax and enjoy the dream. The older boy was scooping up snow when his sister giggled and hugged him suddenly, and the snow slipped out of Jack's hands. It had been so long since Jack had last been able to hug his sister, so he kneeled down and hugged her back tightly.

Jamie smiled at the scene and ran to hide in the woods surrounding the lake. Mary noticed and let Jack go with a smile.

"Let's play hide-and-seek!" she suggested. "You're it!" She looked around and pointed at a tree. "And that's base."

She went to hide with Jamie while Jack started counting to twenty. Jamie was hiding behind a tree, and Mary crouched behind a bush.

"Ready or not, here I come!" Jack called, grinning. He started to fly when Jamie shouted, "That's cheating, Jack!" The winter spirit ran toward the area where Jamie's voice had come from.

Mary peaked through the branches of the bush and gasped. "Jamie, he's coming this way!" she whispered, and the two ran from their hiding places. Jamie yelped when he ran into Jack, and Mary giggled and ran to base.

"Ow," Jamie mumbled, shaking his head.

"You okay?" Jack asked, worried.

"Yeah." Jamie looked around. "Hey, where's - ?"

"I'm over here!" Mary waved at the older boys.

They grinned at her, and Jack shouted, "Jamie's it now!"

Mary ran away from base while Jamie jogged over to start counting.

"Let's go, Mary," Jack told her quickly, taking her hand and pulling her along. "I know a great place to hide."

Mary followed Jack as they ran behind a boulder. "Stay here," Jack told her before he climbed up a tree.

"Jack!" Mary whispered when Jamie had finished counting. "Do we run now?"

Jack looked around from the branch he was standing on. Jamie looked up from where he was standing and spotted Jack, who waved cheerfully at him.

"Yeah!" Jack called down to his sister as Jamie started running toward them. "He's coming, c'mon!"

He jumped out of the tree as Mary started running toward base. Jamie dashed out of the trees, and Mary squealed when he caught her.

The two laughed, and Jack chuckled.

"You're it!" Jamie said, laughing. Mary laughed too and shoved the older boy away. Jack threw a snowball at them, which was returned by both of the kids.

"Can you carry me on your back like you used to?" Mary asked her older brother.

Jack nodded and let her climb on, then pretended to trip. "Whoops!" Mary squeaked and wrapped her arms around Jack's neck tightly. "That isn't funny, Jack!"

"Then why are you smiling?" Jamie teased her lightly.

"I'm not!"

Jack snorted. "Even I can tell, and I can't see you!"

Mary pouted, but then Jack let her go suddenly. She yelped, startled, as she landed on the ground. "Jack!" she complained, but she stayed sitting in the snow.

Jack sat beside her with Jamie. "What's up, Mary?" Jamie asked, trying to hide his laughter.

"The sky, silly." She pushed him gently.

Jamie rolled his eyes, and Jack elbowed him while Mary looked at the lake wistfully and sighed. "Too bad we can't go swimming," she mumbled, hugging her knees.

"Why not?" Jamie asked curiously. "If this is Jack's dream, we can swim in it, right?"

Mary blinked at him, then looked at Jack. "You never told him?"

Jack shrugged, looking away. "He never asked, and it didn't seem important."

"What?" Jamie asked warily.

Jack glanced at Mary, who shrugged. "I became Jack Frost after saving Mary from drowning."

Jamie stared at them, shocked. "What? What happened?"

"We went ice skating, and the ice wasn't thick enough," Mary told him quietly.

"And I died instead of her," Jack said with a shrug.

Mary looked at her older brother. "I never got to thank you for that." She hugged him tightly. "I've missed you."

"I miss you too," Jack said sincerely, hugging her back.

Jamie stared at the lake for a while. "So that's why you never wanted to go swimming," he said slowly.

Jack let his sister go and put a hand on Jamie's shoulder. "Yeah, but it's okay."

Mary hugged them both. "I'll never forget this," she told them, "so thanks for the best day ever."

"You're welcome," Jamie replied jokingly, and Mary smacked his arm lightly as she released them.

About an hour later, Jack started to stretch and yawn. The kids noticed, and Jamie asked him tentatively, "Are you leaving now?"

"I guess so." Jack sighed, and Jamie patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"No!" Mary's eyes filled with tears. "This isn't fair! It's too soon!"

"Hey, I'll see you again." But Jack doubted that. Even if the two were in a better place somewhere, Jack didn't think he could go there himself. As the Guardian of Fun, Jack wasn't sure he could die. Dying meant he would have to give up making other children happy. And looking at the two in front of him, he knew they would never want that.

"It's okay," Jamie said quickly, as if he'd read Jack's thoughts. And since it was a dream, who knew? "We'll miss you."

The kids hugged Jack and said their goodbyes.

"We'll be fine," Jamie assured Jack, "but can you promise me something?"

"Of course," Jack said, nodding.

"Can you make sure Sophie and everyone else are okay?"

And then he woke up.

Realizing the two kids he had tried his best to always keep safe were gone forever - Jack couldn't handle it. So he tried not to sleep again. But he promised to keep an eye on Sophie, her mom and their friends. For Jamie.

~RotG~

I wasn't sure what Jack's little sister's name was, so I just called her Mary.

To **Radar1388 **- I'm glad you liked it, and that it wasn't too depressing. :)

To **Guest **- I'm glad you liked it. :) I might continue this, but it won't be regularly updated like (Snowflakes) or Underneath the Laughter are.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack flew into Sophie's room early one morning, waking her up with the sudden chill in the air.

"_Jack_!" Sophie greeted him with a yawn and a shiver. "Wha-what are you _doing _here? Isn't it too hot for you to be flying around here?"

The older teen shrugged and said lightly, "It's Jamie's birthday, right? I just thought we could go to the cemetery together. I could get some flowers or balloons." Sophie thought she saw tears in Jack's eyes, but then she blinked a few times and they were gone. _Maybe it was just a trick of the light?_

Going to the cemetery...well, her mom _had _been planning for them to go later, so it wouldn't hurt to go a little bit early, right? Sophie thought about it. It had only been a few months, and she still couldn't imagine it. She shook her head and looked up at Jack, who was waiting for her answer.

"Okay," she said, smiling sadly. "But give me an hour to get ready." She paused, then added, "And some flowers would be nice, but I'll get the balloons. Thanks." She knew Jamie would have disapproved of Jack stealing the balloons, but at least he could get the flowers. But knowing Jack, he would probably steal those anyway and play a few pranks on a few flourists in the process.

Jack nodded, grinning. "Sure." The winter spirit left through her window, and Sophie glanced at the time.

_Seven-thirty on a Saturday. He couldn't wait until nine or ten? But...it's Jamie's birthday, so..._

She sat in her bed for a few minutes, realizing what that meant. She covered her mouth to stop a sob, but the tears began flowing. It was the first birthday that Jamie couldn't celebrate with his family. Sophie let herself cry for a long time before trying to pull herself together and went downstairs.

Sophie walked into the kitchen, nearly running into her mother, who quickly wiped a few tears away. "Sophie," Mrs. Bennet greeted her with a surprised but steady voice, "what are you doing up so early?"

"I couldn't sleep," Sophie lied softly, looking at her bare feet. Jamie's death was hard on both of the Bennets, but it still unnerved the teenager to see her mother crying. "Um, Pippa wanted to go to see Jamie's grave later, so I might head to the cemetery a little early." She noticed the keys in her mom's hand and had to ask. "Are you going to work today?"

_But it's Jamie's birthday. Couldn't you stay home with me? I don't wanna be alone today._

"I'm afraid so." Mrs. Bennet sighed, shaking the keys slightly. The sound suddenly seemed too loud and was unwanted. Sophie remembered how Jamie would shake the keys when he was impatient to leave. "I put in a request to have today off a few weeks ago, but the manager just called and said I had to go in. I should be home by seven-thirty... Maybe later."

Sophie stared at her mother with her green eyes widened in disblief. "But the cemetery closes at eight!"

Mrs. Bennet looked torn. "I'm sorry, Sophie, but I might not make it." Sophie turned away and closed her eyes. Her mother noticed and added helplessly, "I'll see if I can get out early, but if I can't, we can always go together tomorrow."

_But tomorrow isn't Jamie's birthday._

But Sophie nodded slowly. "Okay."

Mrs. Bennet hugged her and whispered gently, "Be careful, honey. I love you."

"Love you too, Mom." Sophie hugged her mother back tightly, praying her mother would be safe.

Jack knew he wasn't supposed to be in Burgess, but he had been keeping an eye on the date, trying to make sure he didn't miss this day. He knew where the cemetery was, but he had still wanted to look around. He couldn't remember where his sister's grave was, but he found Jamie's easily and knelt beside it.

He cleared his throat and felt silly for what he was planning to do, but at least Sophie wasn't there yet. "Hey, buddy," he said softly. "Happy birthday!" He smiled ruefully, holding onto some flowers. "Sophie told me to get these for you, so..." He looked around and saw a stone vase on the other side of the grave marker. "Here." He jumped over the grave and placed the flowers in the vase, making sure they fit, then sat in the grass.

He looked up at the moon that was still slightly visible in the early morning light. He let his staff lay in the grass beside him, wondering when Sophie would get there. He had thought about inviting their friends, but he knew Sophie would want some time alone with her brother. Besides, they were probably going to stop by later.

The other Guardians were unable to make it. Tooth and Sandy were still busy, and something with the elves had happened at the North Pole, which (for the first and probably only time ever) wasn't Jack's fault. Jack had barely gotten out of there without having to help, but Bunny wasn't so lucky.

Jack smiled, trying to pretend Jamie was there and not...dead. "I remember that one time I snuck you and Sophie into the workshop..."

"Are you sure we're allowed here?" An eleven year old Jamie had asked him disbelievingly. "If we end up on the Naughty list because of you, Jack..."

Jack had waved away his concerns. "Nah, it's fine." Jamie muttered something under his breath, and Jack poked him with the end of his staff. "What was that?"

Jamie pushed the staff away with a small smile. "I _said _if we get on the Naughty list, you're gonna have to get Sophie a bunch of gifts all on your own!"

Jack shook his head with a smirk. "Bunny would never let her go gift-less! And North likes you too much to put you two on the Naughty list." He looked around a corner to see a few elves wandering around. "The elves don't care if we're here or not, but we have to make sure the yetis don't catch us. If they see us - "

"Run!" A three year old Sophie squealed, bolting from their hiding place. The boys looked at each other, confused.

"What the - ?" Someone picked up Jack by his hood, causing the teen to yelp. The yeti that had caught him said something, but while Jack had missed the words, he recognized the voice. "Phil! _Put me down!_"

The yeti grumbled while Jack struggled to get away. Jamie laughed at them and dodged another yeti who had tried to grab him, then raced away to find Sophie. Jack grinned and aimed his staff at the yeti running after the kids, freezing a patch of his fur.

"Jack Frost!" _Oops._

Jack stopped struggling, and Phil quickly set him down.

North was trying to look stern, but he couldn't help smiling at Jamie and Sophie when they were finally caught. "What is going on here?" the older Guardian asked, amused.

Jamie glared at Jack, who shrugged calmly. "We were curious about this place, so I decided to give them a tour."

Phil said something to North that the kids didn't understand, but Jack said insistently, "I didn't want to bother you guys!"

Sophie hid behind Jamie while North laughed. "It is alright. They are less trouble than the elves, so let them run around."

Once the yetis had reluctantly left them alone, Jamie smacked Jack's arm. "You must really suck at Hide-and-Seek."

"Hey!" Jack exclaimed indignantly. "It's not my fault the yetis found us."

Jamie had shaken his head, laughing. "Yeah, it is!"

Jack smiled at the memory from almost ten years ago. Then he looked at the grave, and the smile faded. "We all miss you, Jamie."

Sophie arrived a few minutes later with a few balloons that read "Happy Birthday!" She tied them around the bottom of the vase, frowning slightly.

She looked at Jack. "Do you think that will hold them?"

He shrugged. "It's fine like that, Soph."

She glanced at the balloons but left them alone. She sighed, mumbling, "Happy Birthday, Jamie." She sat in the grass on the other side of the grave, biting her lip. After a while, she hugged her knees, resting her chin on them. "Hey, Jack? Do you think he's happy?"

Jack looked over at her. "Yeah." He paused. "Do you?"

She tilted her head back. "Sometimes. I like to think he is. Maybe he got to see Dad again."

Jack remembered seeing Mr. Bennet a few times in the past. He had died a year or so before Jamie had believed in him. "You never knew him, did you?"

Sophie shook her head. "No. Whenever I asked Mom about him, she changed the subject or told me a story about him." She took a deep breath. "I feel bad for thinking it, but I'm starting to wonder if she was trying to avoid coming here today." The thirteen year old looked away. "She was _supposed _to be here... I didn't wanna be alone."

Jack made an odd sound that caused Sophie to glance back at him. "I think we both need to have some fun," he told her gently. "Jamie wouldn't want us to be upset on his birthday."

Sophie had to agree with him. "Okay... But not in the cemetery!"

Jack grinned, already knowing what they could do. "Okay, okay." He stood up with his staff in hand, looking around. "Do you still have that snow globe North gave to you for Christmas?"

"Yeah, why?" She didn't trust the mischievious smile he gave her. "What are you up to now?"

"We're going to play Hide and Seek at the North Pole!" Jack declared, and Sophie gave him a wary look. He tugged on her hand. "C'mon, it'll be fun. The yetis are gonna be 'it', so we can't get caught by them."

Sophie looked at the grave while Jack waited for response. She could almost _hear _her older brother urging her to do it. She smiled up at Jack and stood up. "Okay."

~RotG~

Thanks to everyone who's favorited/following this story! :)

To **Radar1388** - This one probably wasn't as light, huh? I'm glad it made you smile, and I've decided to continue it. :)

To **Guest **- I'm glad you liked it. :)

To **SilverDragon00** - I guess that's a good thing. :)

To **OneDirectionInfection125** - Thanks! :) I'm sorry it made you cry, though. :(


	4. Chapter 4

Pitch Black often found himself glaring at a specific light on the globe in his home. After he had managed to regain control over the nightmares, he had decided to wait a while before trying anything else. So he spent most of his days planning on what to do next and slowly getting his strength back. But there was a lot of time ahead of him before he could cause any serious damage, so he would often look at the globe.

And there was Jamie's light, the one that seemed to shine brightest, as if mocking him. The boy who annoyed Pitch just because he wouldn't stop believing in the Guardians. Because Jamie had stood in his way just as much as Jack had.

_"I do believe in you. I'm just not afraid of you."_

So why had Jamie run through him less than an hour later if he had believed in boogeyman?

That was a question the Nightmare King had wanted to ask him, but he knew that the Guardians would never let him anywhere near the boy. Since he wasn't strong enough to fight them yet, he stayed away, always staring at the globe and wondering what the answer to his question could be.

Time passed as it always has, but Pitch never bothered to keep track of it. He didn't need to. It wouldn't matter how much of it went by once he was ready to fight the Guardians again. He could wait however long he needed to.

Occasionally, Pitch sent out the nightmares, who would return with news of the modern world. Sometimes, upon hearing the date, he counted the years since his defeat and was surprised when he realized how long Jamie had held onto his belief in the Guardians.

Then...one day...Pitch looked at the globe and was startled to find the boy's light gone.

Had Jamie stopped believing?

_Finally_, Pitch thought smugly, though he wondered what could have caused the boy to give up on the Guardians. But when his favorite nightmare went out that evening, she came back with the news that stunned her master.

Jamie Bennet had died in a car accident that morning. The boy who never stopped believing was dead. Pitch wasn't close to him - far from it, actually - and hated the boy as much as he hated Jack. Both of them had kept him from being feared, from being _believed _in. But he looked back at the spot where the light had once shone and wondered if Jamie had had the time to be afraid before he died.

But Pitch also wondered how the Guardians were taking the news. Now would be the perfect time to attack, he thought, looking at the nightmares waiting impatiently for the order to head out. But something in him couldn't let them go that night. Not so soon after Jamie's death.

_"I do believe in you."_

Pitch told Onyx firmly, "No one goes out tonight," before walking into the shadows that allowed him to pass through to an isolated room, far away from the nightmares. For the next few days, Pitch thought about the risk he could have taken to find out about the meaning behind Jamie's words. It would have meant another fight with the Guardians whether he had been ready or not, but Pitch caught himself wishing he'd taken it.

It took nearly a week of the nightmares memorizing strange but familiar symbols before they were allowed out again. This time they had left with an odd mission.

"In Burgess," Pitch told them, "there is a cemetery. I need you to go there and find a grave with these words on the headstone, then report back to me."

_In that order? _Onyx nickered curiously, earning a rock thrown at her.

"_Of course_, in that order!" Pitch snapped at her as the nightmares quickly fled the scene, wanting to escape the man's anger.

It took some time before the nightmares found the right place, but they kept their distance when they saw Jack Frost sitting beside a headstone. When he didn't leave, the nightmares became irritated. Their job was to look for a grave in that cemetery, but they couldn't with Jack right there. So they returned to Pitch, telling them what they had seen.

Pitch gave them an odd look. "Can you do _nothing _right?"

Then he left, and the nightmares stared at each other in confusion before going after him.

Jack was leaving just as Pitch was arriving. Seeing the grave the teen had been kneeling beside, he walked over cautiously. Once he was sure that he wouldn't be bothered, he hesitated before sitting beside the grave. For a long time, he said nothing, unsure if he should. After all, the two hadn't met until that one night.

"What did you mean?" The words slipped out without his permission, but he couldn't bring himself to care. "No one ever believes in me unless they fear me. How were you so different?"

He didn't expect an answer, so when one came, he was on his feet in an instant, nightmares appearing to defend their master.

"Jamie was just that kind of person," the Guardian of Fun said quietly, and Pitch saw the look of pain still in the boy's blue eyes. "Did you come to pay your respects?"

Pitch wasn't sure what to do. He didn't want to let his guard down, but the nightmares were too eager to fight to keep them around. Finally, with a flick of his wrist, the nightmares reluctantly left him to face Jack alone. "Something like that," he said vaguely.

Jack smiled slightly. "Everyone has. Kind of guessed you would too." He moved to sit next to the grave again, and after a moment, Pitch sat beside him. "He asked about you sometimes. At first it was because he was afraid you would come back. But after a while, he became curious about you."

"Curious?" Pitch shook his head, not believing a word of it. "I sincerely doubt that."

Jack rolled his eyes. "It's true." He touched the headstone, and fern-like patterns appeared before shaping themselves into a silhouette of a boy. "He asked about what happened to make you so evil. When we told him, he said he wished he had met you before."

Pitch didn't say anything, just listened.

Jack continued softly, "He wanted to join the army. He never did, but he really wanted to." With a soft snort, he added, "I think his first choice was being a thief like North, but Sophie and our friends talked some sense into him. Except Claude and Caleb, they thought it was a good idea."

Pitch couldn't help smiling a little at that. "So he wanted an adventure?"

Jack lowered his gaze. "Yeah."

They were quiet for a long time, Jack lost in his memories while Pitch thought about Jamie.

"One thing I never understood," Pitch finally said, and Jack looked up, "was what he told me."

"About believing in you?" Pitch nodded. "He told me it was like believing in Big Foot or aliens. You can believe that they're real without fearing them."

Pitch frowned. "I'm the boogeyman," he reminded Jack. "I'm supposed to be feared." And that made him pause. Was that why Jamie had run through him? Because he wasn't afraid anymore?

"If it makes you feel better," Jack replied with a shrug, "he didn't believe in me for a long time. He probably believed in you more than he did in me." He stood up and reached into the pocket of his sweater, then held out his fist. "Here. Jamie made this for you and told me to give it to you if I ever saw you again."

Pitch held out his hand, and a paper crane fell lightly into his palm. "A bird?" the Nightmare King said in a confused tone. "What am I supposed to do with it?"

"It's a symbol of good luck, happiness, peace...and forgiveness."

Jack turned to go, but Pitch's voice stopped him. "Why would he make this for me?"

The winter spirit remembered asking Jamie that same question, and the twelve year old had replied simply, "Because he wasn't always a bad guy, and there might still be some good in him."

Jack closed his eyes. "Because he believed in you and wanted you to know it."

Then the teen was gone, and Pitch was left staring at the paper crane in wonder.

~RotG~

Death has a weird way of bringing people together, but why is Pitch out of character? Oh, well.

Thanks to everyone who's favorited/following this story! :)

To **Gemini804 **- I'm glad you loved it. :)

To **Guest **- Yeah, it is sad. That's true. :)


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